Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-03-18
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

lamity will be averted, as the Pres
ident is reported as saying that he
would not call Congress together
unless ii became necessary, in order
to avoid a financial depression.-
Officers of the Departments have a
much happier life when Congress
is away, for with it always comes a
horde of Office hunters which ling
ers as long as the session lasts.
But the business of this great
country has grown too vast to be
carried on by the methods which
served we'll enough halt a century
ago. Not one-tenth of the work
that Congress ought to do ever gets
done at all, and one of the chief
reasons for this is the waste of time
from March to January, for al
though Congress meets on the first
Monday in December, it never gets
down to business before the holt
days.
The cure tor this is IN the Presi-
dents hands. The Fiftieth Con-
gress began its official existence on
the 4th of this month and its men,
bers are now on pay. He has only
to exercise his prerogatiye of con-
veniDg Congress and pointing out
the work which most needs its at
tention. If he neglects to do this,
he will be largely responsible toI
the failure of necessary leglSla'
ton.
The most important legislation
expected of the COngressju just ended
failed because of the stupid organi
cation of the House. Speaker Car
Isle demonstrated an utter lack Of
Judgment and political leadership
in assigning Mr.. Randall to a con
trolling position which that gentle
man used to defeat bis party''
nladoes IL is stated that since the
adjournment of Congress, severa
prominent Democratic members
have told Mr.. Carlisle that unless
he promised to keep Mr.. Randall
off the Appropriations Committee
at the next session, they would moi
support him (Carlisle) for the re
election to the Speakership.
The hundreds of Government
clerks who are suffering from the
unsamtary condition of the Treas
ury building, place all of the re
sponsIbility for the failure of the
bill to improve it on Mr.. RandalP'
shoulders. His disposition is tC
oppose all appropriations that are
not in his opinion necessary. When
spoken to in regard to the IN
healthful air of the Treasury, he
foohshly remarked that be had Wis
tied that Department on several
occasions, and could not smell any
sewer gas.
The Democratic party promises
to be weakened in the next Con
gress even beyond its present con-
dition. The Fiftieth Congress will
come in with two-thirds of the Dem
ocrats new men, and those who
have studied its composition care
fully since the election agree that
the personnel is weak. A Democrat
ic member who was talking on the
subject recently, acknowledged that
everything in the last House went
to the bad, as lar as the party was
concerned, for want of a leader, and
he added that the next House would
be a mere plaything in the hands
of the Republicans on account OF
the new recruits on the other side
who are utterly without experience
or reputation. 1t requires an ap-
premiership of two years for a man
to learn the parliamentary rules
and working methods of Congress-
and in the matter of leadership the
Republicans stood in bold contrast
to the Democrats in the House which
has Just closed its existence.
| AS Senator Edmunds is seldom
drawn into free expressions of his
views on certain subjects, they art
all the more priced when he does
occasionally indulge in talk. II
his opinion, Mr.. Cleveland's AID
ministration is not successful, what
ever the desires and intentions o
those at the head Of Affairs may
have been. 1t was impossible FOL
them TO follow out a successful pol
icy with the weight of a party 81
composed. While all tue Presl
dents have made some bad appoint
ments, he thinks Mr.. Cleveland ha'
been more often betrayed than any
! A large percentage Of his appointee'
have been either incompetent o.
Improper persons, or, being com
petent. have been rascals. Some o
these men he has selected withou
knowing anything about them
others he has appointed upon ih'
endorsement Of members OF Con
gress of bis own party who hav'
not hesitated to betray his conf
dence.
"PIesident Cleyeland has beel
pulled both ways continued tn
Senator from Vermont, "betweel
his civil service reform pledges ant